Clueless about compost

[mistressploppy]

I need a bit of advice - I've just had a nice compost heap thing constructed out of chicken wire and fence posts. I want to start putting veg peelings etc on it but I hear from our neighbours that this can attract rats (they are there already apparently - I've never seem them though). We are on the edge of a village so quite countrified. At the bottom of our garden is a field of cows.

Should I leave off and just put garden waste on the heap? Or, if I do put food scraps on there, is it just teabags and peelings, or can other things ie crusts go on as well?

Sorry, bit dim.....

You can compost lots of things. Yes, garden waste as long as it's not too woody. If it is lots of twigs the if you have access to a chipper it's probably good to use that first. Or just remove them to the local recycling centre.
If you put lots of grass clippings in on their own the heap will heat up and go slimy/pongy; you need to balance more soft stuff with not-so-soft, so you can bung in a layer of grass then, say some old newspapers or eggboxes. Leaves are fairly hard but take years to break down; they are best composted separately in black bin liners!
Veg peelings are good for compost - we put everything we cut/peel off into our bin.
If a heap gets very hot inside (it would need to be big and turned regularly) then it could compost cooked food and stuff, but the best rule is that if in doubt, just compost uncooked fruit/veg matter along with garden stuff. Teabags and coffee grounds will also compost no matter what.

I had a ratty in my compost dalek a year or so ago. Took months to get shot of it! I resorted to putting bait in a piece of offcut drainpipe in the end, so it was sheltered from the rain but accessible. Eventually no more tunnels in the compost. But I wouldn't recommend rentokil's bait!

Ah, I've been doing it all wrong then - the main thing that's been in the heap in the past has been grass

Thanks 'heaps' for the advice! (har har har)

I would second just putting uncooked veg and fruit in the herap and garden waste. I have never put bread or meat in mine and have never got rats (touch wood!!) also every so often (once a month in summer) chuck a potty of wee on the heap-all the nitrogen in it helps speed decomposition along and it won't smell if you only do it once a month. I got this book free with my compost bin and it is really good.
www.amazon.co.uk/Composting-Household-Guide-Green-Guides/dp/1903998786/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299184443&sr=1-10

stick a garden fork in and play twist is what I do since I can't tip it out.